In an interview at SuicideGirls Tony Millionaire reveals the surprising autobiographical origins of BILLY HAZELNUTS, his phantasmagorical children’s book:
DRE: What was the inspiration for Billy?
TM: I wanted to do something that was kind of autobiographical because I was told that the best writing that you do is when you do about something that you know. Thatâs why Maakies is so good, is because itâs really about my days when I was in New York just completely drunk running around with maniacs all the time. Every time they would say something funny I would jot it down and they would say, âWatch out heâs going to steal it.â? But now my life has changed to the point where Iâve been tamed. That is because I met my wife Becky [Thyre] and it was my time to be tamed anyway. Iâm getting to old for that super craziness. So itâs a story of how a creature is formed by the events and circumstances around his environment and then he becomes tamed by the love of this little girl. Then for drama you have him go back into the creepier dark side and then he gets burned. Then he plucks all the bats out of his head and becomes a hollow shell and has to go back home. So itâs the story of a little girl that tames a wild man.
DRE: [laughs] Is that what Becky did?
TM: I didnât even realize I was doing that until I was halfway through the book. Itâs like, âoh, wait a minute; this is the story of me.â?
